Bear crashes through skylight in Juneau and feasts on couple's cupcakes

JUNEAU, Alaska, June 26 (UPI) -- A 180-pound bear crashed through an Alaska couple's skylight and ate the cupcakes they had out for their child's birthday party.

The homeowners quickly vacated the room and allowed the bear to devour the tasty treats.

"I was literally in the room, and I heard this cracking," homeowner Glenn Merrill told the Juneau Empire. "And the next thing you know, there's this bear that, I mean, literally, fell right from (the skylight). It was like one meter away from me."

Merrill's house is on a mountainside that overlooks downtown Juneau.

"There probably isn't a neighborhood or place where we have homes where the potential isn't there for you to run into a bear or observe a bear," Ryan Scott of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game told the CBC. "There is really no place where the potential isn't there."

The bear eventually left the residence after being yelled at, but it lingered in the backyard and continued to look in the window.

"He wanted back in, that's for sure," Merrill said.

The same bear allegedly entered another home in the area, so authorities thought it was best to have the animal destroyed because it was a threat to humans.

"We don't take killing or destroying bears lightly," Scott said. "People were inside that building. I think it was appropriate for that given the situation."

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.